Product codes are well known such that information symbols are arranged in two-dimensional form; error correction codes are encoded for each row and column on the two-dimensional arrangement so that each information symbol is included in two error correction code series. In decoding the product code, an error correction code is decoded for each column, and an error correction code can be decoded for each row by employing the decoded information. The decoded information is called a pointer.
In the conventional method, since each information symbol is associated with a pointer, it is required that the total number of pointers is at least equal to the number of the information symbols.
Further, in the case where erasure correction is made by employing the pointers, since the pointers are read out from a pointer memory and the error values are calculated for every row, there exists a problem in that the number of processing steps such as memory accesses, calculations and so on inevitably increases.
On the other hand, in the case where complicated codes such as BCH codes are employed as error correction codes, since the operations for obtaining error values become inevitably complicated, there exists a problem in that a great number of program steps are required in the case where the calculations are implemented by hardware.